Focus
by AZGirl
Summary: DiNozzo regains his focus on the Mason case. Missing scene and spoilers for 8.02 Worst Nightmare.


**Title**: Focus

**Summary**: DiNozzo regains his focus on the Mason case. Missing scene for the episode.

**Disclaimer**: NCIS is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.

**Spoilers**: 8.02 Worst Nightmare

**A/N**: I respectfully borrowed some dialogue from the episode written by Steven D. Bender.

No beta and barely checked for errors. All mistakes are mine.

**ooooooo**

As DiNozzo finishes reporting, the look he has on his face is similar to the look of a cat that has caught the canary. It's like he's waiting for my approval – or the rare "atta boy".

So I turn and look at him with an expression on my face that I hope conveys the slight disapproval I feel towards my senior field agent for forgetting where his focus should be.

I know I've succeeded when DiNozzo's expression sobers and he gets this "oh crap!" look on his face.

"Did I miss anything?" he tentatively asks.

"No," I reply in monotone.

"Overstep my authority?" he tries again.

"No," I again reply without giving away what I'm really thinking.

"Then, what's wrong?" he asks uncertain of what he's done.

I don't answer right away instead choosing to click on the remote to zoom in on the girl's photo – letting it do most of the explaining for me.

"Isn't that enough?"

I can see DiNozzo really looking at the picture of Rebecca on the monitor – then suddenly his faces falls, his eyes lower, and his shoulders drop. I know I've made my point.

After a few moments, DiNozzo lifts his eyes to mine and is about to say something when his desk phone rings. Seemingly downcast, but determined to get back to finding the missing girl, he quickly answers his phone.

I turn back to the monitor and try to understand why anyone would ever want to harm a child. For a second, Kelly's face flashes to the forefront of my mind, but I don't dwell on the image. Wrong place and wrong time.

DiNozzo's voice breaks into my thoughts:

"Boss, Rebecca's grandfather, Nicholas Mason, is here. I'm having Security escort him directly to a conference room as we speak."

I give him a slight acknowledging nod and toss the remote onto my desk. As I head toward the conference room, I can tell DiNozzo is still full of self-recrimination for his recent approval-seeking.

I want to reassure him that he did indeed do a good job, but he needs to remember the real reason why he's doing the job. And, right now that reason is a missing 13-year-old girl named Rebecca.

ooooooo

I'm just about to say something – apologize perhaps – when my phone rings. The caller on the other end of the line tells me that the missing girl's grandfather has arrived. I order them to have Security escort him to a conference room.

I return the phone to the cradle and look up to see Gibbs just staring, lost in thought, at the girl's photo. And, that's when it hits me: this case, Rebecca, must be reminding Gibbs of his daughter.

I'm such an idiot! How could I not have realized this before now?

I force myself to rein in the anger I'm feeling towards myself and interrupt Gibbs' thoughts.

"Boss, Rebecca's grandfather, Nicholas Mason, is here. I'm having Security escort him directly to a conference room as we speak."

He nods at me and tosses the remote to his desk. I sit down at my desk knowing that I've disappointed Gibbs yet again.

I reach for my phone figuring I could check upon Ziva and McGee's progress. By the time I look up again, Gibbs is gone. Without dialing a number, I hang up my phone a bit more forcefully than is probably good for it.

Damn it! When am I ever going to learn? When am I ever going to learn to not want the approval of the man I admire so much?

Let's face it.

Probably never.

I just can't help but want it though. Sometimes I even crave it. How pathetic is that?

And wanting approval now of all times – stupid! selfish! immature!

Praise for a job well done is so utterly unimportant compared to finding that kidnapped girl. And to not realize how this case might be affecting Gibbs…

I can't help but sigh. It sounds pathetic even to my ears.

It's no use. I'll always be a screw-up one way or the other.

And, the one thing I can't afford to screw up on right now is my job. I need to do everything I can to make this a happy ending.

Rebecca is counting on us to find her and I don't intend to disappoint. Not her; and definitely not Gibbs.

ooooooo

_The end._

**ooooooo**

**A/N**: The one fought me…. I hope it didn't disappoint.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


End file.
